Montero’s two strikes send Sounders past Chicago

Fredy Montero has 10 goals on the season after scoring two more on Saturday night. (Joshua Trujillo/Seattlepi.com)

All Freddie Ljungberg drama aside, this was a crucial match for the Sounders’ playoff hopes. And it was Fredy Montero who became the name on the marquee.

His header in the 92nd minute proved the shocking difference in the Sounders 2-1 win on Saturday night at Qwest Field.

Montero was unmarked on the back post and foreheaded down a Nathan Sturgis cross from deep. It sent Ljungberg home a loser and without the point it appeared Chicago would escape Qwest Field with. Should the Sounders enter the playoffs, it will be referenced as one of the crucial reasons they made it there.

“We knew what the importance was,” Sounders coach Sigi Schmid said. “When you win one like that, that’s something that sometimes becomes defining moments for teams in the season and hopefully this will help us in terms of becoming a defining moment for us.”

Ljungberg stood with his hands on his hips following the goal. He was left to hug and congratulate ex-teammates two minutes later.

“It was a very big goal,” Montero said. “We’ve been dreaming about this situation and a goal so late in the game giving us three points puts us closer to the playoffs.”

It was Montero who also squared things. The Sounders’ leading scorer, and essentially Ljungberg’s replacement in the center of the Seattle offense, zipped past Chicago’s backline to land a crisp cross from Tyson Wahl late in the first half.

Wahl was in a starting role on Saturday night only because of Leo Gonzalez’s controversial red card in the Chivas USA match. He held on to a short pass from Patrick Ianni, then looped the ball into space from the left sideline.

“It’s been a while since I played a game and it took me a couple touches to get my feet under me,” Wahl said. “I was pretty thankful he finished. That was my first assist. I was pretty excited.

“I was sitting there cheering by myself.”

Montero’s timing to run onto the ball was a moment to make the Swiss proud. He settled, paused and fired. His ninth goal went low and to the left of Chicago goalkeeper Sean Johnson. Things were square at 1-1 in the 36th minute.

“It was very intelligent placement of the ball from (Wahl),” Montero said. “When I controlled the ball it was still bouncing in front of me and I thought it could go too high. So, I managed to control it then shot it.”

Seattle (9-8-5) was playing catchup because defender Jeff Parke was called for an intentional hand ball in the box. Parke deflected a dangerous cross and was left with little to argue. John Thorrington scored from the spot, high and right, giving Chicago a 28th-minute lead. Whither Ljungberg on the PK? He was in the discussion prior to the shot but Thorrington stepped up to take it.

“They wanted me to take it,” Ljungberg said. “The players said, ‘You should take it Freddie.’ I just felt it’s not about me. In this game it was so hyped up before I felt it was more important for other players.”

Montero took a direct three minutes into the match that went through the fingertips of Johnson then hit the right post. He would not miss later.

The win pushes the Sounders a step closer to the playoffs, a destiny that seemed distant at best two months ago.